Sabine Kroissenbrunner: We want a better future

Mid-year reflections

We want a better future. Yet the present does not look promising. Heatwaves and social conflicts are interlinked, undermining health, social cohesion and the economy. Studies confirm the link between wars and climate change; we are currently seeing record levels of global military spending and nuclear risks. The five largest armed conflicts are taking place in Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, Sudan, Myanmar and Nigeria. The reverse is therefore also true: the pace and scale of economic and technological development, along with the demand for energy and other resources, have led to a system of exploitation and waste that is causing us to experience climate change and sweltering summers worldwide. We want a bright future. The Bruno Kreisky Forum is working towards this – join us and help shape the dialogue that can only be conducted at both global and local levels.

Thanks to your interest and support, we have organised 52 public events this term, continued our high-calibre series in collaboration with the Museumsquartier (MQ), and helped shape the socio-political debate at four film evenings at the Stadtkino and Filmcasino. In numerous workshops and conferences closed to the general public, trust was built and mediated, and future scenarios were discussed. Our international guests were invited by schools to take part in teacher training sessions and discussions with pupils.

We hope that our new website, launched in April, our informative newsletter and our increased social media activity will appeal to you and spark your interest – in any case, your feedback is a great source of motivation for our dedicated, strong team and our fantastic interns!

We promise to continue and expand on this in the autumn. International dialogue and the question of how to respond to new and pressing challenges at the national, societal and multilateral levels – this was Bruno Kreisky’s strength and lies at the heart of this institution’s programme. Bruno Kreisky was one of those who understood and promoted the importance of multilateralism, which in turn forms part of Austria’s political DNA. Austria’s membership of the UN Security Council in 2027 and 2028 is in keeping with this commitment.

We are therefore delighted to announce the premiere of Harald Sicheritz’s film *BRUNO – The Young Kreisky* on 29 September. The film explores what inspired and shaped him as a young man, leading him to later become one of Austria’s most significant reformers. We’ve already organised a city walk on 2 May to mark the occasion: The Bruno Kreisky Tour – Democracy Needs Movement. More to follow in the autumn. Why not join us for part of the journey?

From all of us here, we wish you a lovely, cool summer, with plenty of rain and good conversations, and we hope to see you again in September!